1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to means for opening or closing a container and providing an indication when said container has been opened or closed. The invention is specifically related to means for providing an indication of when a closed or sealed container has been tampered with.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In 1925 Samuel Schenkein received U.S. Pat. No. 1,539,431 for a bottle closure which was an invention concerning a means for securing the closure of a bottle with a cap and to prevent unauthorized opening of the bottle. His invention consisted of using a flexible member such as a cord or a wire through an opening in the cap with the other end of the member being provided with an enlargement such as a knot to prevent the member from being entirely drawn through the opening in the cap.
Lester L. Lewis in U.S. Pat. No. 2,263,882, issued in 1941, claimed an invention of a bottle with a closure that crushed a revenue stamp at the first opening of the bottle. The crushing is described as accomplished between a stopper and a member by means of an integral and unitary lifting rod. Similarly, Murray Kay in U.S. Pat. No. 2,066,889, issued in 1937, invented a non-refillable closure for containers wherein a valve element was incorporated into the closure means.
In 1940 Maurice Sanburg was issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,201,205 and 2,201,791 for a type of tamper proof closure for bottles designed to contain liquor or perfume. The Sanburg means for indicating tampering was an opaque band surrounding the neck of the bottle and a tamper indicating symbol on the container neck covered by said band such that when the band was removed the symbol on the container neck would become visible.